- The Texas 62nd District Court now has a new judge. The seat had been vacant since Will Baird resigned from the office on Jan. 10. The 62nd District Court serves Lamar, Delta, Hopkins, and Franklin counties. Baird had held the office since 2012. In the event of a resignation during term, the Governor’s office appoints a replacement judge to hold the seat until the next election. The Paris news reports that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed Bill Harris as the new judge of the 62nd District Court. Harris is the current judge of the Lamar County Court of Law, where he’s presided since 2011. The Lamar County Commissioners Court will appoint a new judge to replace Harris in the County Court of Law.
- A bill that would reduce the timeframe for Texans turning in mail in ballots got its first hearing today before a panel of Texas House lawmakers. The measure’s sponsored by Houston Republican Dennis Paul. He told the House Elections Committee, the bill is designed to ensure election results are available soon after polls close. But Austin Democrat Rep. John Bucy believes the proposal would do a disservice to voters if it became law.
“Right now, the application, you could do up until 11 days before the election. Now you're making it 15, so four less days to apply for your ballot. And then you set an extra day to receive. But under current law, it is after election day, the next day, 5 PM after election day. You're making it the day before.”
This is one of the several bills dealing with elections that state lawmakers are considering this session. Texas legislators are about halfway through the 2025 session, which is scheduled to end in early June.
